Preface. xi 



of their protection in the event of the nest being 

 attacked. 



Amongst my own introductions to European gardens is 

 a singular species of pitcher plant or nepenthes, the urns 

 of which are armed with two sharp and strong spines 

 (see p. 341). Its pitchers always contain insects of 

 various kinds, and I am convinced that the spines are 

 present to prevent birds and insect-hunting animals such 

 as the tarsier from removing these insects from the urns. 

 The stalk of this nepenthes is swollen quite near to the 

 pitcher in a singular manner, and is there punctured by 

 a peculiar species of ant, but I could never satisfactorily 

 account for their presence, unless it be in search of 

 water. 



Beccari, during his travels in Borneo, discovered a 

 singular plant — Myrmecodia — parasitic on low jungle 

 trees. Its economy is most interesting. The young 

 seedlings, when about an inch in height, are punctured or 

 bitten by an ant, an operation which causes the stem to 

 become gouty and eventually hollow ; in fact, a natural 

 living hive in which the ants then shelter themselves. 

 This is their own gain, and they in turn rush out to 

 resent any attack which may be made on their living 

 nest. A case analogous to this of mutual protection is 

 recorded of an African species of acacia. The most 

 singular thing in connection with this co-operative affair 

 is that unless the young seedling plants are bitten in 

 due course they are said by Beccari to die. I saw this 

 plant daily for a long period, and often amused myself by 



